Shrinathji Darshan - Mangla

Mangla is the first darshan of the day. The name Mangla underlines auspiciousness of beginning the day with a glimpse of lord. In winter this darshan takes place before sunrise, while in summer, it is later.

During Mangla darshan, the main doors of the sanctum are kept closed and are only opened after the customary initial rituals. This ensures that the drowsy divine child is not startled by large crowds rushing in to see him. It also accords with the mood of the darshan, which is bala bhava, the feelings of a parent concerned about a child's well - being another idea underlying the closed doors is that the svarupa should not be tempted to play with his young companions as opening doors might tempt him to run out!

In summer, Shrinathji is clad simply in an adbandha, a light dhoti. In winter, he keeps warm with a quilted coat. His flute is not placed in his hand, for it is felt that if he were to play it early in the morning, everyone would be enchanted and all work would come to a standstill! Arti is offered to Shrinathji during this darshana. This ritual banishes the evil spirits which hover around in the darkness of the night, seeking to cause harm. This morning darshana is dedicated to the memory of paramandadas, one of the asthachhapa poets. The kiratans Sung at this time are in one of the classical morning ragas - Lalita, Bhairava or Vibhasa.